Newsmakers

Construction

Ilse Calladine joined Metro Builders Supply as contract sales manager. She oversees the outside sales division of the company. Calladine's background includes local, regional and national sales management for Whirlpool Corporation.

Education

Gov. Bob Holden received the Missouri Parent Teachers Association's Better Missouri for Children Award in recognition of his service to education. The award is usually reserved for legislators; Holden is the first governor to receive it.

Health care

Dr. John Salmon joined CoxHealth Center Branson. He is a board-certified family practice physician. Salmon graduated from University of Iowa College of Medicine and completed his residency at USAF Medical Center at Scott Air Force Base, Ill. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, and he has a special interest in geriatrics and preventive medicine for all ages. Salmon previously worked for several years at McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kan., and Tanglewood Family Medical Center in Derby, Kan.

Insurance

Aaron Sharpe, CIC, CPCU, was named Nixon & Lindstrom Insurance's Agent of the Year for 2003. He is a two-time recipient of the award, which recognizes diligence in professional development and sales. He has been a business insurance producer for Nixon & Lindstrom since 1998.

Law

Joseph S. Passanise has become a partner with the Law Offices of Dee Wampler, effective Jan. 1. The firm specializes in criminal defense in state and federal courts.

Charity R. Elmer was named general counsel for CoxHealth, serving as CoxHealth's corporate attorney and coordinating the system's legal matters. Elmer previously worked for Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP. She earned her bachelor's degree from Drury University and her juris doctor from the University of Arkansas School of Law-Fayetteville, where she graduated summa cum laude.

Restaurant

Sam Hudgins, certified executive chef and director of food and beverage for Mikayla's Grill, was named 2003 Restaurateur of the Year by the Springfield/Branson chapter of the Missouri Restaurant Association. Hudgins is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and a member of the American Culinary Federation. Recipients of the award must be successful in the eyes of fellow operators, his or her employees and in the community. The recipient must be community-minded, active in civic affairs and supportive of worthwhile civic and philanthropic activities, and contributions must encompass business ethics, leadership in gaining the proper recognition of the restaurant industry and in building the overall image of foodservice. Recipients also must be members of the MRA.

Waste management

Advantage Waste Services announced five staff additions. Four of those are in Verona: Lynda Hull, office manager; Erin Aust, dispatch and account administrator; Kelly Cornell, scale operator and customer service representative; and Dan Lindner, who transferred from Springfield to the Verona office, is the head of the Verona roll-off division. In Springfield, Adam Hucker joined the company as head of the service department and head mechanic.